Published Friday, February 14, 2003
some stores finding
Herald Staff Writer
Wesley Barber, 81, of Wheatland, came straight from work Thursday afternoon to buy duct tape at Lowe's in Hermitage.
"I thought I better get it cuz it's going to go up like gasoline," said the McDonald's maintenance man. "When I heard it on the news, I knew people are buying it like crazy, sealing up their windows. I just want it for home use and for work."
The terrorist alert across the nation has people buying rolls of plastic as well as duct tape to cover their windows in case of a chemical attack.
Georgette Mortimer, assistant manager at Lowe's, said she noticed Thursday morning that the duct tape supply was pretty "sparse." She pointed to shelves that were almost empty. "Usually we're pretty full. The plastic seems to be OK, though."
Hurlburt's Hardware in Greenville has also noticed a rise in duct tape and plastic sales. "Are we seeing an interest? Yes. Is it a massive push? No. There's definitely more interest (in the products) but it's not a panic buy," said store owner Jan Hurlburt.
Mike Sly, manager of the Wal-Mart store in Hermitage, also noted that sales have been up on those products, as well as bottled water. "I know that sales on some of those areas have been pretty good, but they've been pretty good for awhile," he said.
Americans have also been encouraged to stock up on a three-day supply of water and canned items.
"I noticed I sold some more water and the canned goods, but it was nothing like Y2K," said Scott Knouse, assistant manager of Bi-Lo in Grove City. "They're not beating down the door, but there is a higher percentage of sales. I guess the weather condition trumps the security alert."
But some stores haven't noticed any change in their sales. "You know, I really haven't had much call for it (duct tape or plastic). Nothing's caught on," said Ken Sereday, one of the owners of Sereday's True Value Hardware in West Middlesex.
Oakes Heating & True Value hardware store in Mercer also didn't notice any change in their sales for the products.
Meanwhile, Danny Robinson, manager of Burnett's Pro Hardware of Jamestown, thinks all the hoopla over a possible chemical attack is ridiculous. "That's just bogus information. It's only a seasonal weapon. If there's a chemical attack in winter, it freezes. Any good grunt knows that," he said.